Yonghe Science Park is a national innovation demonstration zone located in Dongcheng District, which includes many old hutong or traditional alleys, and one of the park’s aims is to address the issue of balancing cultural heritage preservation and economic development.

The park implemented the “Hutong Factory” initiative to achieve sustainable development, requiring that hutong will not be dismantled to make room for new companies. Instead, new companies opened offices or workshops in the hutong.

The “Hutong Factory” initiative has helped Yonghe Science Park attract many cultural companies over the past 6 years, including many leading enterprises, such as Beijing Mobile, Beijing Gehua Cultural Development Group and Enlight Media, and the integration between culture and technology has led to an economic boom in the park.

In addition, the People’s Fine Arts & Culture Park, an essential part of the Yonghe Science Park, is home to many outstanding enterprises, including Shengshi Media and MAD Architects, and offers various services, relating to exhibition design, photography, animation, clothes and accessories.

Edited by Wang Yifei and Niva Whyman